This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, more particularly, to an electrical connector which includes a movable shutter for protecting the terminals of the connector.
A typical electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having a mating end to which a mating connector is connected, along with a plurality of terminals mounted on the housing. Each terminal typically includes a contact portion located generally at the mating end for engagement with appropriate contacts of the mating connector. If the connector is frequently connected with and disconnected from the mating connector, the contact portions of the terminals often are exposed exteriorly of the connector during the time the connector is disconnected. Therefore, the connector may be provided with some form of protective cover, slider or the like which acts as a shutter at the mating end for protecting the exposed contact portions of the terminals. Examples of such connectors are shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Nos. 5-1175 and 6-50270; and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 8-7973, 8-203594 and 9-63685.
Such shutter members may be movably mounted so that they move out of a protective position when the connector is mated with the mating connector. Unfortunately, such movable shutters create considerable binding problems during such movement. This is particularly true when the connector, along with the shutter member, is considerably elongated in a direction transversely of the mating direction of the connector. The present invention is directed to solving these problems by yieldably mounting the shutter member to the connector housing to prevent binding of the shutter member upon movement relative to the housing.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connector of the character described, which includes a movable shutter member for protecting the terminals of the connector.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having a mating end for mating with a complementary mating connector. The mating end includes an upper wall and a pair of depending side walls at opposite sides of the upper wall defining an opening for receiving the mating connector. The housing is elongated between the side walls. A plurality of terminals are mounted on the housing in a side-by-side array longitudinally thereof. The terminals have contact portions exposed at the opening for engaging appropriate contacts of the mating connector. A shutter plate is movably mounted on the housing for movement from a protective position spanning the opening between the side walls for covering and protecting the contact portions of the terminals at the opening, to a retracted position upon mating of the mating connector to allow the contact portions of the terminals to engage the contacts of the mating connector. Complementary interengaging flexible locating means are provided between at least one side of the shutter plate and an adjacent one of the side walls of the housing to allow the shutter plate to yield relative to the housing and prevent binding of the shutter plate upon movement relative to the housing.
As disclosed herein, one of the flexible locating means is provided between both opposite sides of the shutter plate and the pair of side walls of the housing. Biasing means in the form of a coil spring is provided between the shutter plate and the housing for biasing the shutter plate toward its protective position.
According to one aspect of the invention, the flexible locating means is provided by a spring member which, as disclosed herein, is a metal leaf spring. Generally, the flexible locating means includes retention means engageable with the shutter plate to define the protective position of the shutter plate. With the use of the leaf spring, a retention hook is provided on the leaf spring engageable with the shutter plate to define its protective position.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.